“Unbelievable but true… a page turning memoir about a secret that one spouse kept from another, a secret that would end their life… Partly about how the mighty in the medical world cannot fall.”
— Robin Young,
NPR Here & Now
“A riveting story, unexpected and all too human, about marriage, illness, and the secrets we feel compelled to keep. It’s a reminder that cancer effects the psyche just as much as it does the body.”
— Siddhartha Mukherjee,
Pulitzer Prize winning author ofThe Emperor of All Maladies
“The mystery of how Rollins succumbed to Weeks' resolute denial, and why he helped his wife avoid treatment for the malady which would kill her is at the center of Rollins's memoir.”
— Jessica Bartlett,
Boston Globe
“Compulsively readable... eloquent... attempts to explain why he yielded such unwavering control to his wife... a painfully moving memoir.”
— Kirkus Reviews
“Why would a distinguished doctor choose to conceal her own cancer? ...By turns loving and angry, as well as disturbing, fascinating and blisteringly honest. Its readers will think twice before keeping a secret.”
— Anne Fadiman,
author of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down
“A unique story of love and commitment that captures our mind and heart from the very first pages and shows us the depth of human resilience under extraordinary circumstances.”
— Jerome Groopman MD,
Recanati Professor, Harvard Medical School, and author of How Doctors Think
“Proud of my friend's riveting new memoir. Dr. Barrett Rollins' love for his wife meant losing her to cancer, despite them both being world-class oncologists. Trust me, you don't want to miss this.”
— John Legere,
ex-CEO T-Mobile
“Unbelievable but true… a page turning memoir about a secret that one spouse kept from another, a secret that would end their life… Partly about how the mighty in the medical world cannot fall.”
— Robin Young,
NPR Here & Now
“A riveting story, unexpected and all too human, about marriage, illness, and the secrets we feel compelled to keep. It’s a reminder that cancer effects the psyche just as much as it does the body.”
— Siddhartha Mukherjee,
Pulitzer Prize winning author ofThe Emperor of All Maladies
“The mystery of how Rollins succumbed to Weeks' resolute denial, and why he helped his wife avoid treatment for the malady which would kill her is at the center of Rollins's memoir.”
— Jessica Bartlett,
Boston Globe
“Compulsively readable... eloquent... attempts to explain why he yielded such unwavering control to his wife... a painfully moving memoir.”
— Kirkus Reviews
“Why would a distinguished doctor choose to conceal her own cancer? ...By turns loving and angry, as well as disturbing, fascinating and blisteringly honest. Its readers will think twice before keeping a secret.”
— Anne Fadiman,
author of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down
“A unique story of love and commitment that captures our mind and heart from the very first pages and shows us the depth of human resilience under extraordinary circumstances.”
— Jerome Groopman MD,
Recanati Professor, Harvard Medical School, and author of How Doctors Think
“Proud of my friend's riveting new memoir. Dr. Barrett Rollins' love for his wife meant losing her to cancer, despite them both being world-class oncologists. Trust me, you don't want to miss this.”
— John Legere,
ex-CEO T-Mobile
Tune In
This collection of songs spans several genres and decades, but each of them plays an important role in the life and relationship of Barrett and Jane. The playlist features everything from an achingly beautiful classical piece by Brahms that was played at Jane’s funeral, to the sweetly romantic pop songs that punctuate the couple’s relationship. You can listen to the playlist here directly, or through Spotify. And to learn more about each song and its significance, check out the In Sickness Book Guide

Photograph: Rick Wenner
About Barrett
Barrett Rollins is an oncologist and cancer researcher who has published over one hundred scholarly articles, chapters, and books. In Sickness is his debut work for a general audience. He is the Linde Family Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and was, for sixteen years, chief scientific officer at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Born and raised in Cleveland, he graduated from Amherst College—which also gave him an honorary Doctor of Science—and received his M.D. and Ph.D. from Case Western Reserve University where he was honored with its Distinguished Alumni Award. He is a long-time trustee of the Interlochen Center for the Arts and lives in Boston with his wife Lynn and their dogs, Skyler and Zeke.
Book Club
Download our guide and receive everything your book club needs to discuss about In Sickness. Including a message from Dr. Rollins, discussion questions, playlist, and support & resources.

Get in Touch
Dr. Rollins would love to hear from you. Please let us know if you would like to place a bulk order of books, request Dr. Rollins to speak at your book club, or anything else using the form on this page. Dr. Rollins is represented by Matthew Carnicelli at Carnicelli Literary Management.
Calendar
Click on a date below to view the details
In-person book signing at
Horizon Books
243 E Front St.
Traverse City, MI 49684
on Saturday, July 15th, 2023, starting at 1:00 PM
Author Appearance
JCC Rockland
450 West Nyack Rd
West Nyack, NY 10994
on Tuesday, October 24th, 2023, starting at 7:00 PM
Author Appearance
“Literatur”
Springfield JCC
1160 Dickinson Street
Springfield, MA 01108
on Tuesday, November 14th, 2023, starting at 7:00 PM